


You don't have to worry (Reach for my hand.)

by AvatarQuake



Category: Alice in Wonderland (Movies - Burton)
Genre: Chessur is a somewhat reluctant aid, Fluff, Gen, I may have taken a few liberties with how Alice's first visit ends, Speculation, just a pre-2010 movie fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-11 14:56:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7897063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarQuake/pseuds/AvatarQuake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been such a wonderfull adventure, until it wasn't, and when the time to say goodbye came, she was sad. He tried to make her not be sad. In the end, she gave him hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You don't have to worry (Reach for my hand.)

**Author's Note:**

> It's my theory that Tarrant started invastigating words from a different letter since Alice left after her first visit, to pass his time until her return, 13 years later, spending a year on each. (Note that the letter M is the 13th letter in the english alphabet. Coincidence?)
> 
> INSPIRED BY THIS IMAGE; http://www.zerochan.net/751088
> 
> Title from Lindsey Stirling's "Something Wild"

It was all such a strange adventure for little Alice, but she loved every moment of it. It was when the Red Queen got angry, that she realised there were indeed dangers in this Wonderland, like the blue caterpillar had told her.

She certainly didn't expect her talking back would guarantee at her being accused and sentenced to death. Nor did she expect any help to suddenly appear.

The Hatter had heard of what was happening in the Red Queen's castle, about that young boy getting in trouble.

“I thought 'e said 'e met Absolem. Didn' tha' ancient bug told Alice not to get into trouble?” he asked the air as he ran all the way to Salazen Grum.

“Oh, he most certainly did. Dear Alice, though, seemed to not have realised that Underland is not...child-friendly.” a voice answered.

“Did ya sent 'im there, ye good fer nothing, slurvish feline?”

“She _did_ ask me if I knew how to get her home. The Red Queen is the one with the key to the Doors, as you know.” the cat appeared by the hatter's head.

The Hatter growled, but didn't otherwise answer.

A sigh at his side a few moments later, alerted him that Chessur was still following him.

“Get the girl out and I will retrieve the key.” he said, once Salazen Grum came into view.

The Hatter nodded once and all but baralled in the courtyard, taking soldiers down. Alice noticing the commotion before the Queen, tripped a soldier, who started a chain reaction that got everyone falling down on their backs or faces.

“Alice!” the Hatter called.

The little girl ran up to him and the Hatter didn't lose a moment before scooping her up in his arms and running away from the castle, as fast as his legs could take him.

“Ye got the key?” he asked, as Chessur appeared.

“Indeed.” he handed it over to the madman.

“Does this mean it's time to go?” Alice asked in a small voice.

“Aye, lad.”

Alice didn't reply, only hid her face in his shoulder.

“Well, since that has been taken care of, fairfarren both.” the cat said, evaporating.

“Bye, Chess.” Alice waved lightly. “Hatter?”

“Yes?”

“Will I see you again?”

“Maybe. I'd be really happy to see you again, Alice. We had such a wonderful tea party! It's not everyday an Overlander comes to visit us, you know!” he beamed down at the child in his arms.

“I know I said I wanted to go home, but now I don't think I want to.”

“Oh?”

“I think I'll miss you too much.”

“Oh, Alice. I will always be there with you, so long as you remember me.” he said quietly.

“Hatter?”

“Yes?”

“Please remember me, Hatter.” she cried.

“Oh, Alice,” he let his left hand run through her hair, “there is no way I would forget you. Not ever. An' ye know tha' me an' Time are not good friends – he 'ad stopped fer me fer so long, I 'ardly expect 'im to start any time soon, so no time would 'ave passed fer me, even though in a sense it would 'ave, but tha' doesn't really matter, because the point of this is tha' I will always remember you!” he said in one breath.

“You promise?”

“Pinky-swear it.” he raised his pinky. Alice wrapped hers around it and shook thrice. “There. I will always remember you. It's a promise.” he grinned.

He set her down and unlocked the door to the Room of Doors.

“How do I go up?”

“The right door will open for you.” he promised.

Alice stared at the doors awaiting for her and then back at the Hatter. He smiled. She beckoned him closer and once he had leaned down close, Alice pressed a quick peck on his cheek before running inside the round room, the door closing behind her.

When she returned home, no time had passed, or no one noticed her missing for so long and when she told her mother and sister, they treated it as a vivid dream. In time, she'd come to believe it was so, but for the time being, she knew it was real.

The Hatter stood frozen in his spot for a good two hours, staring at the door, hand raised to his cheek, before a soft smile turned his lips upwards.

He straightened and turned, making his way back to Thackery's house and their tea party.

He was thinking of words that started with the letter A.

 

 


End file.
